Targeted Vagus-nerve stimulation could reverse Tinnitus, a hearing impairment affecting almost 10% of senior citizens and 40% of military veterans.

Tinnitus is caused by damage to the inner ear which results in changes to the sound localization at the brain’s auditory cortex.

Researchers from University of Texas and MicroTransponder spin-off company published in Nature a successful treatment of Tinnitus using vagus nerve stimulation in rats. The study showed that it was possible by rats brains to block certain sounds by having their vagus nerves activated.